If you are in San Antonio you can now preorder this device. It will plug in via Coax and USB. Uses a regular USB printer cable though they may give you one. It probably uses a power brick. If you have one of those stylish setups where aesthetics are important then you could find a way to integrate it. You might have to go to guided setup again. The order form does require a truck roll even though it could be installed yourself. Hope this helps.

If you are in San Antonio you can now preorder this device. It will plug in via Coax and USB. Uses a regular USB printer cable though they may give you one. It probably uses a power brick. If you have one of those stylish setups where aesthetics are important then you could find a way to integrate it. You might have to go to guided setup again. The order form does require a truck roll even though it could be installed yourself. Hope this helps.

You do not have to go through guided setup again, you just have to reboot your TiVo

I though that the Tuning Adapter downloads its own channel list separate from the Cable Cards. If so then Comcast could leave the channels off the cableCARD listing and the TA would pick them up so only people with the TA would even see them listed.

Wouldn't this mean that we could get the tuning adapter and NOT cablecards, and get all channels?

If that does turn out to be the case, then someone needs to test this and find out if this is true. As far as I know, the TiVo does not tune through the adapter, it tunes through the CableCARDs. A CableCARD is a decoder, a tuning adapter is not. All the adapter does is send a signal to the cable company that you want to watch a specific switched channel. CableCARDs alone are not capable of this.

I posted this today in the SDV FAQ thread. TiVo's SDV support page (here) has been recently beefed up. Of particular interest is this, from the "TiVo upgrades and exchanges section:

Quote:

...you can connect the Tuning Adapter to your new DVR and it will be operational immediately. All channels that are not copy protected, including SDV channels, will be visible.

You will still need to call your cable provider to get the CableCARD(s) paired to your new DVR before you can view copy-protected channels.

...which implies that TiVo can use the channel map in the TA just like it uses the CableCARD maps, even without CableCARDs plugged in. That's the capability that people who want to use TiVo to tune and record digital channels in their basic cable subscription without using CableCARDs.

Problems with this: TAs only work in systems that have deployed SDV; you can only get TAs from your system operator (even if you could get one from someone else, only your cable SO can authorize it to work); it seems unlikely to me that any cable SO would simply give these out for free to people without TiVos with one or more leased CableCARDs, and if you're leasing CableCARDs, you don't need this to get the channel mappings.

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Mike Scott

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I posted this today in the SDV FAQ thread. TiVo's SDV support page (here) has been recently beefed up. Of particular interest is this, from the "TiVo upgrades and exchanges section:
...which implies that TiVo can use the channel map in the TA just like it uses the CableCARD maps, even without CableCARDs plugged in. That's the capability that people who want to use TiVo to tune and record digital channels in their basic cable subscription without using CableCARDs.

Problems with this: TAs only work in systems that have deployed SDV; you can only get TAs from your system operator (even if you could get one from someone else, only your cable SO can authorize it to work); it seems unlikely to me that any cable SO would simply give these out for free to people without TiVos with one or more leased CableCARDs, and if you're leasing CableCARDs, you don't need this to get the channel mappings.

Are you trying to say don't get the adapter if I have CableCARDs? Because I will lose a lot of channels that I regularly watch if I don't utilize the adapter... If I choose to use the adapter instead of the CableCARDs, then I won't be able to tune HBO, Showtime, TMC, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, or a few other channels because they're copy protected.

Are you trying to say don't get the adapter if I have CableCARDs? Because I will lose a lot of channels that I regularly watch if I don't utilize the adapter... If I choose to use the adapter instead of the CableCARDs, then I won't be able to tune HBO, Showtime, TMC, Cinemax, Starz, Encore, or a few other channels because they're copy protected.

No--I'm not trying to say that at all. (I can't see where you derive that from what I said).

I was responding to the issue that mattack and morac are talking about. People try to use TiVo to tune and record the digital channels on their cable system which are included in the core basic service tier, like the rebroadcast of local over-the-air DTV stations. These channels aren't encrypted so they don't require a CableCARD for decryption (this is primarily what CableCARDs do--they don't "tune" anything). TiVo's guide service doesn't support this, mostly because the cable providers are free to change the QAM carrier and program number of these channels and some providers occasionally do, so TiVo can't be certain of where it can tune them. Users who object to having to pay the monthly CableCARD charge when all they want are the channels that they could typically tune with the QAM tuners in their televisions have been banging on TiVo to figure out some way to support these channels in the guide. They can tune these channels without CableCARD, if they can figure out where they are, using their "natural" channel number (a channel whose virtual number is 8-1 might be present on the cable system as 79-3); I myself have done this. However, the channels won't appear in the guide and you therefore can't use Season Passes, etc with them.

What these people are saying is that the Tuning Adapter will work as a substitute for CableCARDs for their limited purposes, and since the cable providers are handing them out for free, why can't they just get one of them? I'm doubting that the cable providers will give them to people who aren't using CableCARDs in their TiVos. I could be wrong.

So far, my provider hasn't taken any core basic tier stuff and presented it as SDV and I doubt that many of them will. In generally, switched broadcasts will be in some kind of pay tier (expanded basic at a minimum) and will require a CableCARD to decrypt. If you're not going to tune switched broadcasts, why should they give you a TA?

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Mike Scott

"To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts." -- hookbill

So far, my provider hasn't taken any core basic tier stuff and presented it as SDV and I doubt that many of them will. In generally, switched broadcasts will be in some kind of pay tier (expanded basic at a minimum) and will require a CableCARD to decrypt. If you're not going to tune switched broadcasts, why should they give you a TA?

Ohhhh ok. Fair enough. But yeah, if you don't have CableCARDs, Comcast won't give you a box. She literally checked my account, after I gave her my phone number, and she went and saw I had CableCARD Digital (that's what CableCARDs show up as on the bill) so she went into the back and got a box for me. No charge.

The way that Comcast has things set up, anyone using CableCARDs could get one of these things and they'll only work with TiVos. I'll bet that one reason why TWC is requiring a truck roll is to make sure that you actually have a TiVo.

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Mike Scott

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but 1800 comcast is a national number, and I called from a nj area code phone.

When you call the 1800 number you are just as likely to end up speaking to someone in a call center in Florida or Texas or some other state as you are to one in NJ. Comcast doesn't care where you are calling from.

Congratulations and thanks for taking the time to post your results. You are literally the first person in the U.S. who has received a TA to respond in the TIVO forum. The thirst for information on this subject is immense and you will be bombarded with questions as thousands of us wait for the TA to be offered by our cable company. We request your patience and indulgence.

Discussion, debate and speculation has been raging for more than a year in the TIVO Community over when and how this TA would be implemented and distributed. We're finally getting some hard facts. I look forward to your continued postings on how this TA is working out on your system. .

Suggestion to Forum Administrator: Now that the Tuning Adapter is finally being deployed, a single Sticky Thread dedicated to TA deployment and implementation should be started as I count at least three long threads in two forums which directly cover this issue.

When you call the 1800 number you are just as likely to end up speaking to someone in a call center in Florida or Texas or some other state as you are to one in NJ. Comcast doesn't care where you are calling from.

My understanding is that 1-800-COMCAST is set up to deliver calls geographically to the closest call center having agents available to take calls.

When we call 1-800-COMCAST from here (near Seattle) we almost always reach one of two call centers in the Seattle metro area. When my son calls from Vancouver, WA, (near Portland, OR) he usually reaches a call center in Beaverton, OR (also near Portland).

I would expect this call routing approach would be nation-wide, but I could be wrong.

My understanding is that 1-800-COMCAST is set up to deliver calls geographically to the closest call center having agents available to take calls.

That could be possible in your area and it was true in my area a few years ago, but now calls in my area are just randomly routed since all the call centers have access to your info.

For example, there is a call center in Voorhees, NJ which is approximately 10 to 15 miles away from where I live. Years ago when I called the 1800 number I used to get directed there or to Canada if it was late at night. Now when I call I usually end up talking to someone in the Florida or Texas call center. Every now and then I end up talking to someone in Voorhees, but it is a rare occurrence.

There's still no way to actually talk to someone in my local office other than driving there.

I picked mine up earlier this week in NJ and I have a green blinking light which says I may have a problem with the TA. Go figure. If they haven't thrown the switch yet, could the TA not be ready to actually work?

I picked mine up earlier this week in NJ and I have a green blinking light which says I may have a problem with the TA. Go figure. If they haven't thrown the switch yet, could the TA not be ready to actually work?

Once you power on and plug in the adapter, you gotta reboot the TiVo. If the light is still blinking, call Comcast to have another signal sent to your house. If that doesn't work, they didn't properly add the adapter to your account and it's not authorized to work for you. You may have to take it to comcast to get it paired to your account or have a truckroll come out to do so...

I had the same problem until I rebooted the TiVo, the green light went solid once I did. It usually means it's looking for communication from the UDCP enabled device.

While both the tuning adapter and the cable cards provide channel maps, only the cable cards can decrypt encrypted channels (pretty much anything beyond basic service).

This helps some people like me. I am just on Comcast's lifeline service for $10/mo. I have my M cable card just so I can get guide data. Now, for me, the TA doesn't add much of anything since my M card is free. But if I had to pay $5/mo or more for the card, I would want a TA. So, sure, maybe they roll a truck to verify you have a TiVo or even CCs, but once that is done and all is set up, why couldn't you just return the CCs and have them removed from your account?

This helps some people like me. I am just on Comcast's lifeline service for $10/mo. I have my M cable card just so I can get guide data. Now, for me, the TA doesn't add much of anything since my M card is free. But if I had to pay $5/mo or more for the card, I would want a TA. So, sure, maybe they roll a truck to verify you have a TiVo or even CCs, but once that is done and all is set up, why couldn't you just return the CCs and have them removed from your account?

If I were a cable provider, I'd link having a TA with having one or more CableCARDs, and if you returned your CC's, I'd ask for the TA back and wouldn't accept return of the CableCARD(s) without it. Hell, I'd insist that you actually subscribe to switched channels to be issued a TA and remain subscribed in order to keep it--no one with lifeline basic would get one. The cable providers aren't charity organizations; they may be distributing TAs at no charge, but they're doing it to make money. They're pissing off TiVo-using subs who are losing access to extra-cost subscription channels and they're distributing these things out as a courtesy to keep those customer's business.

It's worth a try, though. Cable providers aren't the most organized service organizations and some (or all ) of them might not figure out all of the angles.

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Mike Scott

"To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts." -- hookbill

Cisco makes cable boxs. they are 8550, 8552,8450 I think TWC will have them soon???

The division of Cisco which used to be SA makes those boxes, as part of the continuing "Explorer" line of a cable subscriber set top boxes. I'm fairly certain that TWC isn't going to get into the equipment manufacturing business (unless you have a pointer to some information that I've missed).

The market for STBs is going to bust wide open with the advent of <tru2way> compliant products. Companies like Panasonic and Sony, who've been trying unsuccessfully for years to bust the SA/Moto duopoly on cable set tops, are finally going to get some play.

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Mike Scott

"To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts." -- hookbill

If I tune direct on my TV, I can receive CMT as part of my lifeline package. When I try to tune with the TiVo (by entering the channel #) regardless of if I have checked the channel on the "channels I receive", I cannot receive CMT.

Does this mean they are using SDV on CMT? If it wasn't SDV and it was "encrypted", I would at least see snow, or some other interference, right? I get nothing on CMT (22).

If it is in fact SDV, I may actually seek out a TA as I would like to be able to receive CMT for nothing else but the Crossroads programs.